Five years on: Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-two-hour marathon

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Five years ago, the Kenyan became the first man to break two hours for the marathon with his controversial methods

On October 12 2019, Eliud Kipchoge made history by becoming the first person to run a marathon in under two hours.

At the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Vienna, Austria, the world watched in awe as the Kenyan clocked an astounding 1:59:41 – an achievement once deemed impossible, yet Kipchoge made it look effortless.

As he raced down Vienna’s Haupltallee towards the finish line, the atmosphere was electric as the now 39-year-old peeled away from his pacemakers, waving to the cheering crowd in the final stages.

“With 500 metres to go,” the double Olympic champion later reflected, “it was the best moment of my life.”

For years, the sub-two-hour marathon had been labeled the ‘impossible barrier’ by experts but Kipchoge’s feat wasn’t without its controversies.

The record-breaking run had a unique setup: a rotating team of pacemakers shielded Kipchoge from the wind, while he wore Nike’s specifically designed carbon fibre plated shoes. Given this, the IAAF at the time chose not to ratify it as a world record.

However the double Olympic champion still shattered a barrier long thought impossible – and has yet to be breached by anyone else.

The event was specifically created for this moment. Police cars cleared the roads ahead, while assistants on bicycles handed out drinks and a pace car led the way, setting the tempo for Kipchoge and his elite pacemakers which included Bernard Lagat, Matthew Centrowitz and the Ingebrigtsen brothers.

His achievement echoed through history and was likened to Roger Bannister’s legendary first ever sub-four-minute mile in 1954.

“It has taken 65 years for a human being to make history in sport – after Roger Bannister made history in 1954. I have tried and I got it,” said Kipchoge five years ago.

“I am the happiest man to run under two hours to inspire people, to tell people that no human being is limited. You can do it.”

The triumph was not Kipchoge’s first attempt at breaking the two-hour barrier. In 2017, he had come agonisingly close, finishing in 2:00:25 during Nike’s Breaking2 event in Monza, Italy. Unlike Vienna, Monza lacked the crowds that would later roar him to victory.

But following his official world record of 2:01:39 set in Berlin in September 2018, Kipchoge had entered Vienna with the confidence and preparations he needed.

The man behind the INEO 1:59 Challenge, Sir Jim Radcliffe, could see Kipchoge’s unshakeable belief. “I could see that Eliud believed that he could do it,” said Radcliffe. “I’m an amateur runner and sometimes I have a good run and sometimes i have a bad one and you don’t really know why it is.

“There are no guarantees in sport. He could have had a bad day but he just happened to have a good day. I will never forget that last 30 seconds.

“He broke free from the group and the car and then accelerated and didn’t look like his feet were touching the ground and his face was so calm and tranquil but my face would have been tortured.”

Since that remarkable day, Kipchoge has continued to push the limits. In 2022, he further cemented his legacy, breaking his own world record at the Berlin Marathon with a stunning time of 2:01:09 – slicing 30 seconds off his previous best.

His record stood firm until the late Kelvin Kiptum set a new milestone of 2:00:35 at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

Kipchoge was deeply affected by Kiptum’s tragic passing and faced his own personal challenges, due to the threats and accusations that were made against him and his family.

This year, Kipchoge – the Olympic marathon champion in both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 – was selected for his fifth Games in Paris. No athlete had ever claimed three Olympic titles over 26.2 miles, with the Kenyan great tied on two golds alongside Abebe Bikila [1960 and 1964] and Waldemar Cierpinski [1976 and 1980].

But in Paris, his dreams of a third gold resulted in heartbreak. Struggling visibly during the race, Kipchoge slipped away from the leading pack and ultimately withdrew from the marathon at the 31km mark.

Yet even though the Paris Olympic dream faded, Kipchoge still has a few more marathons in his sights, and when asked about what comes next, he said: “I don’t know what my future will hold. I will think about it over the next three months. I still want to try to run some marathons.”

To celebrate the five-year anniversary, you can find our original coverage from the sub-two-hour marathon via the Athletics Weekly archive.

From the first ever issue in December 1945 through to the present day, current subscribers to our magazine are able to dip into this resource for free whereas non-subscribers can pay just £3.99 per month for full access.

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